lEx  IGtbriB 


SEYMOUR  DURST 


H'hen  you  leave,  please  leave  this  book 

Because  ii  has  been  said 
"Ever  thing  comes  t'  him  who  waits 

8:xcept  a  loaned  book." 


Avery  Architectural  and  Fine  Arts  Library 
Gift  of  Seymour  B.  Durst  Old  York  Library 


Digitized  by 

the  Internet 

Archive 

in  2013 

http://archive.org/details/lectureonhistoryOOtyse 


LECTURE 

ON  THE 

HISTORY  OF  STATEN  ISLAND; 

DELIVERED  BEFORE 

BY  RAYMOND  M,  TYSEN,  ESQ. 

TUESDAY  APRII.  12tli,  1842. 

PUBLISHED  BY  REaUEST  OF  THE  DIRECTORS. 

STATEN  ISLAND: 
P.  L.  HAGADORN,  PRINTER. 
1843. 


4 


to  mo  than  to  Bketcb,  as  well  as  I  am  able,  the 
principal  occurrences  upon  our  Island  bince  its 
diflcovr'ry. 

Three  hundred  arjil  lifiy  years  u;;o,  this  con- 
tinent was  ii)l)al)il<(),  as  you  will  know,  by  a 
numerous  ra(  (!  who  bad  never  seen  a  while  aiun. 
They  weredividi'd  into  nations  or  tribes,  under 
the  government  of  their  chiefs,  men  who  obtain- 
ed their  rank  and  power  by  fi-ats  in  war;  and 
their  laws  and  histories  were  handed  down  by 
tradition.  The  people  who  possessed  this  por- 
tion of  the  country,  were  the  Lei»ni-Lenapc,  af- 
terwards called  the  Delawares,  a  warlike  and 
powerful  nation,  who  lived  many  years  before,  in 
the  Werit ;  but  allured  hither  by  the  accounts 
of  these  dcli(;htful  regions,  they  attacked  the  Al- 
ligcwi  who  dwelled  here,  and  having  overcome 
them  in  a  great  battle,  expelled  them  from  tho 
country,  and  established  themselves  between 
the  Potomac  atid  Hudson  rivers.  There  were 
several  branches  of  the  Delaware  nation,  one  of 
which  occupied  Staten  Island.  Manhattan  Island, 
nnd  the  lantl  on  tho  east  side  of  the  Hudson.  (I) 
This  was  the  Mahiccan  or  Manhattan  tri!>c.  ('J) 
It  was  distinguished  as  the  niost  fierce  and  war- 
like member  of  the  Delaware  family;  ani  in- 
deed that  portion  of  It  which  dwelh-ri  upon  this 
Island  appear  to  have  conquered  and  held  parts 
of  the  surrounding  country,  for  the  land  upon 
which  Elizabe'.h-Town  now  stands,  was  pur- 
chased of  their  chiefs.  (3) 

While  they  lived  the  careless,  and  apparently 
happy  lives  of  savages,  spending  most  of  their 
time  in  warring  with  tljoir  neigtibors,  and  sub- 
sisting chiefly  upon  the  fruits  of  the  chase,  or 
the  spontaneous  [iroductions  of  the  earth,  some 
of  tl)e.Ti  who  were  fishing  upon  the  coast,  observ- 
ed a  strange  sight;  and  a  number  were  soon 
gathered  together,  to  gaze  at  a  remarkable  ob- 
ject, such  as  had  never  before  been  seen,  float- 
ing upon  the  water,  and  nearing  the  land.  Va- 
rious were  the  conjectures  as  to  its  nature;  some 
supposing  it  an  immense  fish,  others  a  large 
house.  As  its  appearance  wsr4  alarming,  run- 
ners were  immediately  sent  off  in  every  direc- 
tion with  the  new's,  and  these  shores  are  soon 
covered  with  a  multitude  of  warrior?.  As  it 
continues  to  approach,  they  imagine  that  it  must 
he  a  house  or  canoe,  containing  the  Manitto  or 
Supreme  Being,  who  was  come  to  make  them  a 
visit.  The  chiefs  are  assembled,  the  conjurers 
and  wise  men  are  consulted,  and  a  sacrifice  is  pre- 
pared to  appease  the  Manilfo.  As  it  comes  near 
the^  see  that  it  is  filled  with  beings  of  a  different 
colo\>Tfrom  themselves,  dressed  in  a  strange  man- 


ner;  and  one  who  is  clothed  in  red,  they  HUp- 
posc  to  be  the  Manitto.  But  now  the  hout*f 
stops  ;  and  a  smaller  canoe  leaver  it,  containing 
the  red  man,  and  some  others.  When  these 
reach  the  shore,  they  greatly  admire  the  dress  of 
the  Manitto,  but  ihey  wonder  why  he  should 
have  a  white  skin.  He  now  approaches,  en- 
ters the  circle  they  have  formed,  and  salutes  them 
in  a  friendly  manner;  and  wiien  ihey  have  re- 
turned his  salute,  one  of  his  servants  brings  for- 
ward a  large  gourd  or  vessel,  pours  from  it  a  li- 
quid into  a  smaller  one,  and  gives  it  to  the  Ma- 
nitto, who  drinks  it.  lie  then  has  the  cup  filled 
again,  and  hands  it  to  the  nearest  chief,  who 
takes  it,  smells  it,  and  passes  it  to  the  next,  who 
does  the  same;  and  so  it  goes  round  the  circle, 
none  having  the  courage  to  taste  it.  At  length 
a  great  warrior  addresses  the  assembly  ;  tells 
them  that  it  was  given  ihem  to  drink,  that  to  re- 
turn it  untouched  might  offend  the  Manitto, 
and  cause  their  destruction;  and  that  as  it  is 
better  for  one  man  to  die,  than  for  a  whole  na- 
tiofj  to  be  destroyed,  he  himself  will  drink  it. — 
Then,  like  Curtius,  he  dcvotes'himself  for  his 
country,  bids  them  adieu,  and  swallows  the 
draught.  All  eyes  are  now  upon  him;  he  stag- 
gers and  falls;  but  while  they  are  lamenting  his 
death,  they  discover  that  he  breaihes,  and  after 
a  little  time  he  ribes,  declares  he  was  never  so 
liappy  before,  and  wishes  to  repeat  the  experi- 
ment. Curious  to  experience  his  sensations, 
they  join  in  his  request,  and  a  general  intoxica- 
tion ensues.  The  placil  was  ever  afterwards 
called  by  the  Indians  Mannahattinink — tho 
place  of  intoxication.  (4) 

This  is  the  traditionary  account  of  the  visit  of 
the  Europeans  to  these  shores,  and  of  the  first 
introduction  among  the  Indians  of  their  deadli- 
est cneniy,  the  destroyer  alcohol.  The  scene 
just  described  is  supposed  by  some  to  have  oc- 
curred upon  the  shores  of  Slaten  Island  or  Long 
Island  in  1521,  when  they  say  John  de  Verrazano, 
a  Florentine  in  the  service  of  the  King  of  France, 
discovered  and  vjsited  this  port.  This  conjec- 
ture arose  from  a  description  in  his  narrative  of 
his  voyage,  which  closely  applies  to  the  narrows 
and  bay.  He  says  "  after  proceeding  one  hun- 
dred leagues,  we  found  a  very  pleasant  situation 
among  some  steep  hills,  through  which  a  very 
large  river,  deep  at  its  mouth,  forced  its  way  in- 
to the  sea;  from  the  sea  to  the  eastuaray  of  the 
river  any  ship  heavily  laden  might  pass  with  the 
help  of  the  tide,  which  rises  eight  feet.  But  as 
we  were  riding  at  anchor  in  a  good  berth  we 
would  not  venture  up  without  a  knowledge  of 


5. 


the  mouth  ;  therefore  wo  took  the  boat  and  en- 
tering the  river,  we  found  the  country  on  its 
banks  well  peopled,  the  inhabitants  not  differing 
much  from  the  others,  being  dressed  out  with 
the  feathers  of  birds  of  various  colours.  They 
came  towards  us  with  evident  delight,  raising 
loud  shouts  of  admiration,  and  showing  us  vvhere 
we  could  most  securely  land  with  our  boat.  We 
passed  up  this  river  about  half  a  league,  when 
we  found  it  formed  a  beautiful  lake,  three  leagues 
in  circuit,  upon  which  they  were  rowing  thirty  or 
more  of  their  small  boats,  from  one  shore  to  the 
other,  tilled  with  multitudes  who  came  to  see  us. 
All  of  a  sudden,  as  is  wont  to  happen  to  nuviga- 
tors  a  violent  contrary  wind  blew  in  from  the 
sea,  and  forced  us  to  return  to  our  ship,  greatly 
regretting  to  leave  this  region,  which  seemed  so 
commodious  and  delightful."  Others,  particu- 
larly the  Dutch  writers,  have  contended  that 
Hudson  was  the  first  who  discovered  the  river 
which  bears  his  name.  Nor  ^have  the  claims  to 
that  honor  been  confined  to  these  two.  It  has 
been  imagined  that  the  Northmen  who  sailed  to 
the  Northern  part  of  America,  in  the  middle  of 
the  eleventh  century,  pushed  their  discoveries  at 
least  as  fir  as  this  Island,  and  that  these  regions 
were  included  in  iheir  famous  Vinlnnd;  while  it 
is  asserted,  with  some  probability,  that  the  Span- 
iards at  least  saw  the  river,  and  named  it  "the 
River  of  the  Mountains." 

Henry  Hudson,  however  is  generally  consid- 
ered to  have  been  the  fir:-':  European  whu  visited 
these  shores.  He  sailed  from  Holland,  in  t!ie 
employment  of  the  East  India  Company,  in  1601^, 
and  on  the  3d  of  September  of  that  year,  entered 
this  harbour,  and  anchored  within  the  Santly 
Hook.  As  he  explored  the  neighborhood,  he 
was  delighted  with  the  pleasant  aspect  of  the 
country  ;  with  its  noble  trees,  its  fine  scenery, 
and  its  fragrant  air ;  and  "  the  land"  he  says  "  is 
the  finest  for  cultivation,  that  I  ever  in  my  life 
set  foot  upon."  Having  been  kindly  treated  by 
the  Indians  except  on  one  occasion,  when  his 
boat  was  attacked  by  the  fierce  Mahiccans,  and 
in  the  flight,  one  man  shot  with  an  arrow,  and 
killed,  and  having  proceeded  up  the  North  Riv- 
er nearly  as  far  as  Albany,  he  returned  to  Hol- 
land with  the  news  of  his  discovery. 

To  Hudson  our  Island  owes  the  name  it  yet 
retains.  Its  Indian  name  was  Aquehonga — 
Manacknong  ;  (5)  which  signifies  in  English, 
the  place  of  bad  woods.  This  is  properly  th. 
signification  of  the  latter  part  of  the  term,  Man- 
acknong  ;  the  former  has  no  necessary  connex- 
ion with  it ;  it  means— <zs  far  as.    The  whole  is 


evitr^mfythi*-TmsT<rCT  fff-a-qife&fitni';  antJ-if  we* 
inrf2f^''h«rtti£ft'tlfl!rreplj^*wh'e'rt-  1^  an-  In- 
dian, was  caught  up,  and  preserved  as  the  name 
of  the  Island,  we  have  a  satisH^ctory  reason  why 
the  two  parts  have  been  handed  down  togeth- 
er.* 

The  settlement  on  Staten  Island  was  one  of 
the  first,  probably  the  very  first,  made  in  this 
part  of  the  country.  It  is  true  that  traders  bad 
resided  in  the  neighborhood  for  several  years  pre- 
viously, but  they  were  without  families,  and  con- 
fined themselves  to  the  forts.  The  glowing  de- 
scriptions given  by  Hudson,  on  his  return  to 
Holland, ;jf  the  beauty  and  riches  of  the  country, 
caused  it  to  be  called  the  New  Netherlands,  and 
created  a  drsire  to  visit  it.  Accordingly  several 
voyages  were  made  to  it,  for  the  purpose  of  traile; 
and  in  1G15  a  fort  was  erected  on  Manhattan 
Island  for  the  protection  of  the  traders.  (G) — 
These  voyages  were  occasionally  continued  un- 
til 1G'31,  wlien  the  Dutch  West  India  Company 
was  created,  and  invested  with  a  monopoly  of 
the  trade  to  the  New  Netherlands.  But  they 
did  not  commence  operations  till  1G23,  when 
'.hey  sent  out  a  ship  with  several  families  of  colo- 
nists. (7)  Previous  to  this  timCj  however,  a  fam- 
ily named  Rapelje  had  established  themselves 
upon  this  Island.  But  they  did  not  remain  here 
long.  The  ship  that  brought  them,  had  two 
years  before  returned  to  Holland,  and  no  other 
had  been  sent  out ;  they  were  at  a  distance  from 
th(Mr  iriiMids  al  Manhattan,  without  easy  u)eans 
of  communicalin^T  with  them  ;  they  were  sur- 
rounded and  annoyed  by  hostile  savages  ;  ihey 
were  destitute  of  clothing,  their  scanty  stock  of 
provis^ions  was  exhausted,  and  they  had  not  yet 
cultivated  the  land  sufTiciently  to  raise  a  supply. 
Yielding,  then,  to  their  necessities,  and  longing, 
doubtless,  for  social  intercourse,  they  sailed  in 
their  little  boats  to  Kap-se.t  But  the  condition 
of  iheir  friends  was  but  little  better  than  their 
own,  and  they  were  presently  obliged  to  convert 
the  sails  of  their  boats  into  clothes.  They  soon 
sufiered  too,  from  scarcity  of  food  ;  and  it  is  rela- 
ted that  the  commander  of  the  station  took  from 
Mrs.  Rapelje  the  last  morsel,  a  piece  of  dum|)ling 
which  she  had  preserved  and  hid  in  the  chimney 

*•  Manacknong  \^  derived  Iroin  the  iiianiniate  form 
of  the  adjective,  manadud  (a  bad  thing,)  auk,  the 
term,  i.i  compound  words,  for  trees  (living  trees,) 
d^uAnong,  the  jjeneral  intioction  for  locality.' 

The  translation  and  derivation  of  these  words 
was  furnished  nu,  in  the  most  obliging  manner  by 
Henry  R.  Schoolcraft  Esq.,  whose  learning  in  all 
that  relates  to  the  antiquities  of  our  country,  is  well 
known. 

t"Thc  Indian  name  for  the  extreme  southern 
point  of  the  (Manhattan)  Island. — Judge  Benson. 


G. 


*Mrii.  ttfVfM  Iji  ill'W  4ii  itillMintfl^  l>i[liBBriiHtJi|iMyi|wrrr 

vmIiimIi  . limit. i.I-|ih.'i  i  U'll  .IIIH  IiIU  in  lli  i  uliiiiiiny 
for  lu  r  huMjiry  ciiildri'i).  FuriiJiiatcly,  lln;  n«  xt 
•  lay  iifhT  lliis  mTurrrrtcc,  tlioy  were  gladilcnrd  hy 
IIh;  hi^hi  «ifa  sliip  vvliii  h  brou^jhl  llu'iii  relief.  (8) 
This  was  the  whip  of  llie  co:iii»'my,  whirl),  at:  I 
have  |i»'fore  ft  iled,  arrived  here  lit  lG2'.i.  R.ipel- 
ju  Huuii  atlt  rwards  reuiuvcd  to  the  Wal  Cocht, 
and  becnme  fmiiou!'  as  the  fatljer  of  the  first  \\  Iiile 
child  horn  in  the  New  Nolheihndri  1  ('.)) 

No  further  atteiiipl  was  made,  for  j't.iiic  liino, 
(ocoloiiize  SiaU'ri  Island.    In  it  was  pur- 

chased from  Ilje  Indians  l»y  Miihaol  Pauw.one 
of  Ihe  Patroofis  (10)  lie  owned  also  the  Imtl 
on  the  West  si  io  t)f  (lie  h.iy,  and  o|i|ioHite  the 
foil,  where  Jersey  City  no.v  s'anils,  and  culled 
Ihe  whole  P.ivonia.t  Dul  he  apjiears  from  some 
rau:?c  Io  have  nenlccteil  his  lands,  and  they  at 
length  hecaiiie  the  properly  of  the  company. — 
Thif?  Island  was  llien  yranted  to  David  Pieter- 
BZ'-n  Du  Vrie.H,  one  of  the  Patromis  vvlio  liad 
come  over  some  years  he  fore  wiih  Godyn,  V;:ii 
ReUfeselner,  and  olhcrJ*.  De  Vries  arrived  lieru 
from  Holland,  hringinj^  a  niitnlter  of  coli^nistr  in 
lGo8,  aJul  in  January  of  the  nexl  year,  he  cmii- 
meneed  Iiis  seltlejicnt.  Dul  his  colony  u;rt 
with  a  iiielanehnly  fate,  causi'd  by  liie  short 
sighted  policy  pursued  with  respect  to  the  na- 
tives. De  Vries  himself  treated  them  wi><ely, 
and  was  hi;^hly  respected  by  them,  I'Ut  the  Gov- 
ernor., William  Kiefi,  took  the  opposite  course. 
Being  a  man  of  stem  and  vigor»)us  disposition, 
UfM>n  the  sli^^litest  provocation,  he  punished  them 
\vi;h  ;;r«'at  cruelly,  and  upon  swver.d  occasions 
caused  llicui  to  bo  destroyed  with  savage  barbar- 
ity; which  severity  never  fuilcd  to  be  retorted  l.y 
them  upon  the  Dutch.  This  was  the  case  with 
regard  lo  the  colony  of  De  V  rics.  Some  pnrsons 
from  a  vessel  which  had  stopped  here  f.)r  wood 
^nd  water,  had  commiiled  a  petty  thet'l,  which 
was  laid  to  the  charge  of  the  Raritan  Indians, 
a  tribe  wlio  lived  near  Aral  oy,  and  a  troop  of 
one  hundred  men  was  sent  to  jiunish  them. — 
These  coniaiiUed  violent  exce.Taies,  killing  witli- 
oqt  mercy  ;  and  the  only  residi  of  the  expedition 
was  to  excite  a  thirst  for  revenge,  which  was  af- 
terwanls  fully  gratified.  Upon  the  first  oppor- 
tunity, the  Uaritans  invaded  the  Island,  altack- 
ed  the  coionist.s  and  ojunlered  ihem  lo  a  man  ; 
at  the  same  litiie  telling  some  friendly  Indians 
thai  the  whiles  should  now  have  cause  to  Sght 
Ihem,  having  before  assailed  them  unjustly. 

This  occurred  in  the  latter  pari  of  16-11,  and 
about  the  same  time,  a  person  named  Malyn  ar- 
rived here  from  Holland,  and  claimed  the  Island, 


under  an  alleged  grant  from  the  West  India 
Company.  (12)  Dc  Vries  at  first  disputed  hia 
right,  but,  after  the  murder  of  his  people,  hcaban- 
doned  hid  design  to  plant  a  colony  here,  and 
Malyn  obtained  possession,  and  made  some  im- 
provements. He  maintained  his  claim  until  near 
the  end  of  the  Dutch  government,  when  he  8ur- 
rendi  red  it  lo  the  Company.  (13)  The  Inilians, 
however,  were  always  ready  to  renew  ihcir  claims 
to  the  Island, and  re-sell  it,  as  often  as  ihey  could 
find  piirchasr  rs  ;  and.  accordingly,  it  was  sold 
by  tiiem  again  in  1G51,  to  Auguslin  Herman, 
(I  I)  and  again  io  1Cj7  to  the  Baron  Van  Capel- 
lan.  (15)  The  Sachems  who  made  this  sale  weie 
called  Warrincr,  Aguepos,  and  Mingua,  and  the 
|)rice  paid  was)  ax  f»»llows  :  10  shirts,  30  pair  of 
stockings,  10  guns,  30  bars  of  lead,  30  pounds  of 
powilpr,  I'J  coufs,  2  pieces  of  dufTell,  30  kettles, 
50  h.ii:hets,  23  hoes,  and  a  number  of  knives  and 
awKs.  (IG  ) 

Uul  the  Dutch  never  tucceedrd  in  securing 
the  frieixlship  of  the  Indians.  Prudence,  if  no 
brtd  r  moliu!  should  have  inducer!  them,  at  first, 
to  act  mildly  towards  (hose  whose  lands  they 
were  usurping,  and  experii-nce  should  have 
taught  ihem  that  if  i.s  beltcrto  be  loved  than  fear- 
ed by  our  ncighl'ours.  But  ihey  abandoned 
this  principle,  and  their  ill-judged  measures  [iro- 
duced  in  tlie  minds  of  the  savages  an  exaspera-^ 
lion,  of  which  llicy  often  felt  the  cfTects;  and  as 
Sialen  Island  was  easy  of  access,  and  its  white 
inhabitants  too  few  lo  make  much  resistance, 
it  was  again  made  the  K'cnt:  of  vengeance.  In 
IGjj  about  five  huniircd  warriors,  in  sixty  four 
canoes,  landeil  at  New  Amsterdam,  and  com- 
mrncid  hostilities.  Having  iHade  great  havoc 
there,  killing  the  inhabitants,  burning  houses, 
and  destroying  cattle,  they  at  last  made  a  des- 
cent upon  this  Island  where  they  massacred  six- 
ty seven  persons,  which  must  have  embraced 
nearly  the  whole  white  population.  (17.)  Ac- 
cording lo  tradition  there  were  two  or  three 
houses  at  Olil  Town,  where  all  were  murdered, 
except  a  little  girl,  w  ho  ran  into  the  woods,  but 
having  been  decoyed  back  to  the  house  by  an 
Indian  diessed  in  her  father's  clolhcs,  was  pre- 
served, and  carried  away  unharmed. 

We  hear  nothing  more  of  Stalen  Island  dur- 
ing the  Dutch  government,  except  that  all  pri- 
vate claims  to  it  were  extinguished,  and  that  it 
became  again  the  property  of  the  Company.  In 
1GG4,  the  English  conquered  the  province  and 
took  the  most  efTeclual  means  to  encourage  emi- 
galion,  by  granting  lo  any  person  the  lands  he 
should  subdue,    [Many  then  came  over,  and 


1. 


nChosethis  Island  as  their  residence.  It  had  ai- 
rways been  a  favorite  spot  with  tlie  Dutch,  and 
vits  advantages  continued  to  attract  their  success- 
■  ors.  It  was  eligibly  situated,  and  its  soil  was 
rich.  Besides,  it  abounded  with  uset'ul  wild  an- 
imals— deer,  raccoons,  and  black  bears,  while  it 
was  free  from  those  of  a  dangerous  or  noxious 
character;  and  its  natives  w/cre  quiet  and  inof- 
fensive. It  received  considerable  accessions 
about  the  year  1666,  and  its  white  population 
rapidly  increased.  In  1G65  a  shire  called  York- 
shire was  created,  embracing  Long  Island,  Sla- 
ten  Island,  and  probably  the  town  of  Westches- 
ter, and  a  code  of  laws  was  promulgated  for  its 
government :  (18)  and  in  1667  the  first  Court  of 
Justice  was  established  upon  this  Island.  It 
consisted  of  two  overseers,  who  together  with  the 
constable,  were  to  administer  justice  in  all  cases 
where  the  amount  in  controversy  was  not  more 
than  five  pounds.  Cases  which  involved  more 
than  that  amount,  were  to  be  sent  to  the  Court 
of  Gravesend,  (19)  The  English,  indeed  com- 
menced a  law  reform,  with  a  sagacity  worthy  of 
our  present  Legislature,  They  sat  down  in 
council,  with  a  wisdom  that  would  have  been 
ridiculed  in  the  Dutch,  gravely  to  deliberate 
whether  attorneys  were  useful  to  plead  in  Courts, 
or  not ;  and  when  it  was  resolved  that  they 
thought  not,  a  law  was  passed  prohibiting  them 
to  practice  in  the  government. 

As  the  policy  of  the  English  was  to  concili.ite 
the  Indians,  and  satisfy,  as  far  as  practicable, 
their  demands,  those  here  were  too  cunning  to 
;Iose  the  opportunity  of  making  another  specula- 
tion. Accordingly  in  1670,  they  made  their  ap- 
pearance before  Governor  Lovelace  and  his  coun- 
cil, and  claimed  the  Island,  or  pay  for  it.  (20) 
When  they  were  referred  to  the  sale  in  1657 
they  denied  that  the  Dutch  had  completely  ful- 
filled their  part  of  the  contiact;  and  they  then 
fixed  a  price,  at  tvhich  they  would  forever  reHn- 
quish  their  claims,  and  abandon  the  Island.— 
Like  skilful  speculators,  raising  their  price  as  the 
demand  increased,  they  at  first  named  a  sum 
from  which  they  might  safely  recede;  and  pro- 
posed to  receive  six  hundred  fathoms  of  wam- 
pum ;  which  was  worth  far  more  than  they  had 
ever  before  been  offered.  This  demand  was  at 
length  somewhat  abated,  and  they  consented  to 
take  four  hundred  fathoms  of  wampum,  together 
with  a  number  of  guns,  axes,  kettles,  and  watch- 
coats.  But  here  the  oarallel  ceases,  for,  on  pay- 
ment of  those  articles,  they  faithfully  performed 
their  contract,  and  delivered  up,  not  a  map  with 
the  country  laid  out  upon  it,  but  the  land  itself, 


and  they  never  afterwards  occasioned  any  (rouh- 
le.*  The  ceremony  of  conveyance  was  jierform' 
ed  by  delivering  to  those  deputed  to  take  posset:* 
slon,  a  ^<OLl,  and  a  shrub  of  every  kind  exoe[)t  t!ie 
ash  and  theulder. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  have  here  some  ac- 
count the  wampura,  or  seawan,  before  spoken 
of,  which  was  so  bi;zh!y  prized  by  the  Indians. — 
It  was  of  two  kinds,  the  while,  and  the  black, 
the  black  being  twice  as  valuable  as  the  white, 
on  account  of  its  scarcity  ;  and  was  composed  of 
small  portions  of  the  inside  of  certain  sea  shells, 
ground  down  to  the  proper  size,  and  strung  like 
beads.  When  t!)us  prepared,  it  was  used  for  a 
variety  of  purposes.  It  was  their  money,  and  it 
was  employeil  to  ornament  their  persons  and 
dress;  it  was  the  gift  of  friendship,  and  with  it 
treaties  were  ratified,  and  all  important  actions 
confirmed.  As  it  was  used  by  the  Dutch  and 
English  as  the  circulating  medium,  in  all  trans- 
actions with  them,  its  value  was  regulated  by 
law. 

The  poiilation  of  this  Island  now  increased  so 
rapidly  that  in  1675  it  was  sufiiciently  large  to 
call  for  the  establishment  of  Courts  of  larjier  ju- 
risdiction;  and  accorilinaly  in  that  year,  its  ju-  * 
dicial  department  was  entirely  separated  from 
that  of  Long  Island,  and  it  was  permitted  in  the 
language  of  the  record,  "to  have  a  juris<liclion 
itself."  (21)  In  1683  it  contained  two  hundred 
families,  and  as  the  Province  was  then  first  ili- 
vided  into  counties,  it  was  made  one  under  the 
name  of  Richmond  Countyt,  and  two  represent- 
atives in  the  Assembly  were  allowed  to  it;  and 
the  next  year,  for  the  first  time,  a  tax  of  fifteen 
pounds  was  imposed  upon  it. 

Soon  after  this  time,  our  Island  received  an 
accession  of  inhabitants  illustrious  for  their  suf- 
ferings and  their  virtues.  These  were  the  tlu- 
gonots,  or  French  Protestants,  who  were  driven 
from  their  country  by  religious  persecution.  It 
is  probable  that  a  few  of  these  had  emigrated  to 
this  land  some  years  previously,  but  it  was  not 
till  this  period  that  they  came  in  numbers,  con- 
tributing to  purify  and  enrich  our  country  with 
their  own  virtues,  and  the  arts  of  Europe.  To 
understand  and  appreciate  the  sufferings  of  that 
persecuted  people,  in  whose  history  too,  we  feel  a 
lively  interest,  let  us  return  for  a  moment  to  the 
story  of  the  oppression  and  cruelty  that  drove 
them  into  exile.  The  Reformation,  which  spread 
over  Europe,  in  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 

*lst  May,  1670. 

TJudge  Benson  says  this  name  was  after  that  of 
Charles,  but  this  is  evidently  a  mistake  ;  Charles  2d 
had  no  children,  and  Charles  1st  none  by  that  name. 


8. 


lory,  and  alarmcJ  the  Catholics  for  the  safety  of 
their  institutions,  from  Germany  and  Switzer- 
land penetrated  into  France,  where  it  made  rap- 
id progress.  The  Ilugonota,  as  tho  reformers 
were  called,  soon  btcaine  mimcroub ;  and  the 
proscription  with  which  religious  bigotry  always 
meets  its  opponents,  served  only  to  increase  their 
numbers  among  which  were  found  some  of  the 
most  eminent  men  in  the  kingdom,  and  even 
of  the  royal  family.  The  greatest  intolerance 
Was  quickly  manifested  on  the  pari  of  the  Cath- 
olics towards  their  Protestant  brethren;  and  "it 
was  made  a  point  of  honor,*'  says  llumc,  "whf  th- 
er  the  one  sect  could  exercise  or  the  other  suffer, 
most  barbarity."  "  The  father  was  divided 
against  the  son,  brother  against  brother,  and  wo- 
men themselves,  sacrificing  their  humanity,  as 
well  as  their  timidity  to  the  religious  fury,  dis- 
tinguished themselves  by  acts  of  ferocity  and 
valour."  But  the  lJugonots  were  at  length  driv- 
en to  defend  themselves.  Powerful  armies  were 
then  assembled  on  either  side,  led  by  the  greatest 
men,  and  France  was  converted  into  a  scene  of 
strife  and  bloodshed.  As  often  as  they  were 
exhausted  by  their  conflicts,  peace  was  procUim- 
rd,  and  observed  by  the  treacherous  Catholics 
only  till  they  could  regain  their  strength.  At 
length  King  Charles  IX  was  obliged  by  the  firm- 
ness of  the  Hugonots  to  come  to  an  accommoda- 
tion, and  grant  them  full  liberty  of  conscience  ; 
but  this  was  made  by  the  perfidious  monarch,  the 
surest  means  of  their  destruction.  Lulled  into  a 
sense  of  security,  by  the  deepest  dissimulation, 
the  raairiage  of  their  leader  with  the  King's  sis- 
ter  was  made  the  occasion  of  drawing  tliera  in 
great  numbers  to  Paris,  where  the  most  barba- 
rous massacre  recorded  in  history  took  place,  led 
on  by  the  King  in  person.  Men  of  the  highest 
rank,  women,  and  children  were  involved  in  a 
common  destruction  5  and  the  streets  of  Paris 
were  deluged  with  the  blood  of  ten  thousand 
mangled  bodies.  The  massacre  then  spread  over 
France,  and  the  devoted  Huconots,  surpiised 
and  unprepared,  met,  at  many  places,  with  a 
similar  fate.  But  the  blow  which  had  been  in- 
tended to  exterminate  them,  seems  only  to  have 
excited  them  to  greater  vigour,  for,  assisted  by 
troops  from  Germany,  and  money  from  England, 
they  again  raised  an  army,  and  took  the  field  in 
defence  of  their  rights.  Six  times  had  a  treach- 
erous peace  been  concluded,  and  as  often  broken 
by  the  Catholics  with  new  perfidy,  and  for  for- 
ty years  had  France  been  devastated  by  civil  war, 
when  the  leader  of  the  Hugonots,  at  the  death 
of  Henry  III,  succeeded  to  the  crown,  and  pub- 


lished the  famous  edict  of  Nantes,  which  sccilf- 
od  to  them  the  free  exercise  of  their  (religion.— 
They  now  enjoyed  an  inttrval  of  rest  until  the 
accession  to  power  of  the  Cardinal  Richelieu. 
One  of  the  first  schemed  of  that  celebrated  man, 
wns  the  destruction  of  the  Hugonots,  and  amidst 
all  his  great  designs,  this  was  kept  continually 
in  view.  After  his  death,  during  the  reign  of 
Lewis  XIV,  the  popish  clergy  worked  steadily 
to  consummate  the  wicked  plan,  and  induced 
that  otherwise  magnanimous  monarch  to  co-op- 
crate  with  them.  The  privileges  that  had  been 
secured  to  the  protestants  were  gradually  inva- 
ded, they  were  again  harrassed  with  persecutions 
more  violent  than  before,  and  at  length  the  edict 
of  Nantes  was  entirely  revoked,  and  they  were 
obliged  to  renounce  their  religion,  or  abandon 
their  country.  Choosing  the  latter  alternative, 
above  five  hundred  thousand  sought  in  foreign 
land^,  that  libf  rly  which  was  refused  them  at 
home,  the  liberty  of  worshipping  their  Maker 
according  to  their  conscience.  A  large  number, 
fiillowing  the  example  of  the  Puritans,  fled  for 
refuge  to  America;  and  many  found  an  asylum 
in  tiie  bosom  of  our  Island. 

IJioh  moral  courage  always  commands  our 
admiration.  We  cannot  but  respect  those  who 
resist  oppression,  and  our  finest  sympathies  are 
awakened  when  they  suffer.  But  when  we 
coniempl.ite  the  character  of  those,  who  in  de- 
fence of  their  religion,  would  hazard  all  the 
comforts  of  life ;  w  ho,  rather  than  do  violence  to 
their  conscience,  would  sacrifice  all  that  men 
hold  dear ;  who  rather  than  purchase  peace  and 
safety  by  dissenting,  would  abandon  company, 
friends  and  wealth  ;  would  quit  the  vineyards  of 
their  own  sunny  land,  and  by  a  boisterous  pas- 
sage across  the  pathless  ocean,  would  seek  a 
home  in  a  distant  and  unsettled  region,  whose 
unknown  coast  was  beset  with  dangers ;  where 
no  smile  of  sympathy  greeted  their  arrival;  and 
no  hand  of  welcome  drew  them  to  the  shore; 
where  scarce  a  white  face  was  seen  amidst  hordes 
of  scowling  savages  ;  and  the  only  sounds  that 
met  their  ears,  were  the  howl  of  the  wolf,  the 
whoop  of  the  Indian,  the  sound  of  the  axe,  and 
the  sullen  crash  of  the  falling  forest,  all  the  en- 
thusiasm of  our  nature  is  kindled  in  their  behalf. 
Talk  not  of  noble  parentage,  and  blood  derived 
from  a  remote  ancestry,  tainted  and  polluted  in 
its  passage,  by  the  vices  of  every  age  ;  the  man 
who  owes  his  birth  to  the  Puritans  of  England, 
or  the  Hugonots  of  France,  may  well  be  proud 
of  his  lineage. 

Such  is  the  narrative  of  the  events  which 


SI. 


brought  hither  those,  from  whom  many  families 
tlpon  this  Island  are  desccndeJ  ;  and  from  it  we 
may  easily  decide  their  character.  Frugal  and 
industrious,  they  ccninenced  and  extended  the 
cultivation  oflhc  earth;  brave  and  independent, 
ihey  imparted  to  the  growing  population  a  heal- 
thy and  vigorous  habit  of  thinking  ;  attentive  to 
religion,  they  built  churches,  and  carefully  cher- 
ished pious  customs.  "We  have  indeed  abun- 
dant evidence  that  all  the  early  inhabitants  of 
this  Island  were  careful  of  religion,  for  there  are 
records  of  churches,  corresponding  with  the 
three  nations  from  whom  our  population  is  de- 
rived. We  have  accounts  of  a  French,  a  Dutch, 
and  an  English  church,  built  early  in  (he  last 
Century,  if  not  in  the  latter  pirt  of  the  preceding, 
and  of  a  Moravian  congregation  in  1743.  (22) 
But  as  land  was  plenty,  and  to  be  had  upon  easy 
terms,  and  their  wants  but  few,  many  of  the  in- 
habitants about  that  that  time  were  careless,  ea- 
sy, and  improvident,  and  an  anecdote  is  related, 
which,  while  it  proves  this  shows  also  how  freely 
Gonernors  gave  away  their  lands.  Governor 
Hunter,  sailing  about  the  Island  on  an  excur- 
sion of  pleasure,  having  been  kindly  treated  by  a 
Dutchman,  whose  name  shall  not  be  mentioned, 
offered,  in  consideration  of  his  kindness,  to  give 
him  a  patent  for  a  large  tract  of  land.  The  an- 
swer made  by  the  recipient  of  this  liberal  offer 
was  "  Good  Lord  !  Governor,  what  shall  I  do 
with  ill"  and  not  knovwng  what  to  do  with 
it,  he  refused  to  accept  it.  This  is,  indeed,  al- 
most incomprehensible  at  the  present  day  ;  and 
to  show  more  fully  the  improvidence  of  the  man, 
his  grand  children  wore  paupers,  supported  by 
the  public. 

We  find  now  for  several  years  but  little  mat- 
ter of  interest  relating  to  our  Island.  The  en- 
couragement of  schools,  the  establishment  of  fer- 
ries, (23)  and  the  military  movements  of  the  Eng- 
lish, was  all  that  occurred  previous  to  the  Revo- 
lution. As  this  state  was  the  theatre  of  operations 
during  the  contests  between  the  French  and 
English,  so  our  Island  bore  its  full  share  of  the 
burthen  of  war.  Many  of  its  inhabitants  enlis- 
ted in  the  ranks  and  fought  the  battles  of  the 
King  ;  and  it  was  always  a  favorite  place  for  the 
incompetent  of  the  British  armies.  (21) 

But  with  the  contest  which  resulted  in  our 
independence,  commences  perhaps  the  most  in- 
teresting portion  of  its  history.  It  is  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  suffering  of  the  inhabitants  from  flie 
day  when  the  British  army  first  touched  this  soil, 
•ill  the  closeof  a  war,  which  was  to  them,  literal- 
ly, a  "seven  years  war,"  for  during  that  time, 


they  knew  no  peace.  It  has  been  said  that  tlie 
people  of  this  Island  flocked  to  the  British  stan- 
dard, on  the  first  landing  of  the  enemy,  and  bail- 
ed with  enthusiasm  their  arrival ;  but  the  asser- 
tion is  without  a  shadow  of  authority,  and  on 
the  contrary,  I  believe  that  by  far  the  greatest 
portion  of  the  inhabitants  were  friends  of  their 
country.  This  falsehood  was  at  first  taken  from 
a  work  published  at  London  in  1780,  (25)  before 
the  close  of  the  war,  and  even  there  it  was  as- 
serted only  of  a  portion  of  the  inhabitants;  but, 
copied  and  considered  carelessly,  it  has  been 
made  a  general  remark  ;  but  |the  very  measures 
adopted  by  the  British  themselves  go  to  disprove 
it.  It  is  true,  there  was  no  open  hostility,  but 
that  was  a  matter  of  necessity  ;  and  doubtless 
many  present,  and  I  myself,  have  often,  in  child- 
hood, listened  to  the  tales  related  by  the  aged 
from  their  own  recollection,  of  the  sufferings  of 
the  people,  their  execration  of  their  oppressors, 
and  the  joy  diffused  by  the  independence  of  their 
country. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1776,  the  enemy  took  pos- 
session of  this  Island  and  kept  it  during  the  war, 
as  a  depot  and  fortified  camp.  On  landing,  they 
entrenched  themselves  strongly  in  this  part  of 
the  Island,  and  extended  their  posts  along  the 
Northern  shore,  as  far  as  Port  Richmond. — 
Their  next  step  was  to  seize  the  boats  found  be- 
ycnd  that  ijlace  and  to  prohibit  all  communica- 
tion with  the  opposite  shore.  These  regulations 
were  continued  in  force  during  their  stay  ;  and 
thus  the  inhabitants,  shut  out  from  intercourse 
with  their  countrymen  and  watched  over  by  a 
powerful  army,  were  obliged  for  their  own  lives, 
and  the  safety  of  their  families  to  submit.  They 
were  compelled  to  provide  sustenance  for  the 
army,  quarters  for  the  officers,  and  hospitals  for 
the  sick.  The  soldiery  drove  away  and  killed 
their  cattle  and  they  dared  not  make  resistance. 
Their  horses  were  taken  to  transport  the  bag- 
gage of  the  army,  carried  upon  distant  expedi- 
tions, seldom  paid  for  and  rarely  returned.— 
The  farmers  were  compelled  to  thresh  out  their 
grain,  carry  it  to  market,  and  sell  it  for  a  fixed 
price,  under  penalty  of  loss  of  property,  and  im- 
prisonment. Persons  from  other  places  had  lib- 
erty to  cut  wood  for  fences  upon  the  lands  of 
those  who  were  not  under  the  projection  of  the 
British  ;  and  license  was  granted  to  others  to  cut 
fire  wood  wherever  it  could  be  found,  and  to  im- 
press the  farmers  and  their  teams  to  carry  it 
away.  (2G)  As  the  British  made  excursions  in- 
to the  surrounding  country,  pillaging  and  des- 
troying, the  American  soldiers  often  attacked 


10. 


the  defcncclcFfi  parts  of  iho  Ibland,  and  us  aH 
Were  considered  within  the  enemy's  lines,  all 
suflTered  alike;  and  with  them  catoe  many  to 
I'lunder,  who  commiitcd  acts  of  excessive  cmclty. 
There  were  three  attacks  made  during  the 
War,  by  the  American  army,  U|)on  this  post,  but 
on  account  of  the  strong  position  of  the  enemy, 
neither  was  successful.  The  first  was  a  gallant 
enterprise,  planned  and  ltd  by  General  Sullivan, 
about  the  middle  of  August  1777.  lie  sought  to 
surprise  the  provincial  troops,  stationed  oppofritc 
the  Jersey  shore,  and  succeeded  in  capturing  two 
Regiments  commanded  by  ColoneU  Lawrence 
and  Barton  ;  but  the  alarm  having  f^pread,  and 
reinforcements  arriviiia,  he  thought  it  prudent  to 
retreat.  Unfortunatrly  he  had  not  provided  a 
sufficient  number  of  lioats  to  traiispurl  his  lro"[)s, 
and  his  rear  guard  was  attackeil  by  the  Crilisb 
General  Campbell,  and  after  a  spirited  resistance, 
overpowered  and  taken  prison*  rs.  (•37)  In  No- 
vend)er  of  the  same  year  General  Dickinson 
planned  another  entttprise.  IJe  observed  the 
Utmost  secrecy  with  regard  to  it,  and  look  jjrcal 
pains  to  prevent  ihc  knowledge  of  his  intentions 
from  reaching  the  enemy  ;  but  they  obtained 
information  of  it,  and  when  he  landed  on  the 
Island  they  had  retiTed  to  thtir  entrenchmeivts, 
and  he  relumed  without  success.  ('2ft.)  The 
last  invasion  was  in  the  winter  of  1779  and  SO, 
called  "  the  haid  witiler,"  on  account  oflhe  ex- 
cessive coldness  of  the  weather.  The  American 
army  had  been  beaten  in  New  York  and  driven 
into  New  Jersey,  where  they  were  in  winter 
quarters,  [loorly  clail,  poorly  provisioned,  and 
poorly  ariucd.  The  defeat^  of  the  past,  and  the 
dreary  prosjiect  of  the  future,  had  dainjied  the 
ardourofthe  nation;  and  as  action  was  neces- 
sary to  revive  the  drooping  spirits  of  the  soldiers. 
General  Stirling  bi  hevcd  that  a  sucres.-jful  bluw 
might  be  stru  k  upon  this  I<!.ind.  He  supposed 
that  the  floating  ice  would  cfTt dually  prevent 
aid  from  the  City,  while  by  a  rapid  march,  he 
would  storm  the  works,  desfroy  the  storci:,  and 
capture  the  troops  of  the  British  ;  and  according- 
ly he  crosseii  upon  t!ie  ice  with  twelve  hundred 
men,  and  commenced  his  m:;rch.  But  the  se- 
verity of  the  cold,  and  the  depth  of  the  snow  im- 
peded his  progress  till  the  enemy  roci  ivcd  rein- 
forcements; when  fir.ding  him  too  strong  to  be 
successfully  attacked,  he  retraced  liiss-teps,  break- 
ing down  the  bridges  behind  him.  His  troops, 
unfit  for  a  winter  expcdiiion,  fcUlTered  severely. 
Being  ill  provided  with  clothing,  they  were  ex- 
posed to  the  utmost  severity  of  the  weather,  and 
many  were  severely  frost  bitten  and  several  died 


in  consequence.  Much  depredation  wai  coni'' 
mitled  during  this  expedition  by  some  disorderfy 
soldiers  and  followers  of  the  army.  They  rob- 
bed many  fautilies,  and  drove  away  a  quantity  of 
cattle,  but  l>y  the  exertions  oflhe  General,  most 
of  their  booty  was  restored.  ("2^) 

Hut  it  was  near  the  clo«ic  of  the  war  when  the 
inhabitants  of  this  I^ilund  suflTercd  mo.st  from  this 
species  of  arrogance.  Organized  bands  oftories 
then  prowled  about,  robbing  friend  and  foe  ;  and 
it  was  no  uncommon  thing,  during  a  scent  of 
dreadful  violence,  for  a  man  to  distcorer  that  he 
was  pillaged  I'y  his  nearest  relations.  These 
wretches  attacked  the  defencelcbs  houses,  and  if 
they  expected  concealment,  inflicted  on  the  rn- 
raates  the  most  horriil  tortures,  and  even  death 
itself.  On  one  occasion,  they  seized  a  notorious- 
miser,  and  having  in  vain  endeavored  to  discov- 
er his  treasures,  he  was  lied  to  a  po.->t,  surroun- 
ded with  straw,  and  given  I©  choose  between  his 
money  and  his  life.  But  the  passion  of  avarice 
conquered,  the  flame  was  applied,  and  the  rob- 
bers departed;  and  though  the  wrttched  marv 
suffeieil  the  mo>l  lion il'le  agony,  he  yel  lived  to 
enjoy  afterwards  his  accursed  lust  f>f  riches, — 
To  such  a  |Htch  indeed  had  these  miscreants  car- 
ried their  audacity,  that  on  anolli^rocca.sion  they 
dragged  an  enemy  before  the  Biiiish  commander, 
and  accused  him  as  a  spy  ;  and  when,  upon  in- 
vestigation, the  man  was  set  at  liberty,  determin- 
ed Ujjon  his  destruction,  they  again  seized  him, 
carried  him  across  the  kills,  and  in  sight  of  tbe 
army,  hanged  him  upon  the  marestlree.  Each 
man  sb-pt  with  arms  at  his  side,  uncertain  when 
•he  shou^d  be  a.ssailed  -  and  many  adopted  the  ex- 
pedient of  removing  their  efl'ects  to  the  upper 
story  of  their  houses,  where  at  night,  having  as- 
cended by  a  ladder  which  was  drawn  up  after 
tl)em.  they  remained  in  comparative  security. — 
Ol!»ers  obtained  and  kejtt  at  thtir  houses,  guards 
of  Bri'.rsh  soUiers.  and  in  many  neii^hborhoods 
regular  patrols  were  established  each  night.  But 
the  robSiers  were  not  so  defeated,  for  they  exten- 
ded their  depredations  into  New  Jersey,  whence 
they  returned  loaded  with  booty;  and  marvcl'ous 
stories  are  yet  told  of  the  immense  tre.nsures 
which  they  carried  with  them  to  Nova  Scotia, 
w!)ero,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  they,  and  other 
tories,  found  refuge  from  the  vengeance  oftheir 
countrymen. 

As  our  Island  was  the  first  position  occupied 
by  the  enemy  in  this  State,  so  it  was  tlie  last  de- 
serted; and  from  its  situation  between  the  con- 
tending armies,  it  was  the  scene  of  some  interes- 
ting events.    Here  first  landed  those  splendid 


11 


legions,  which,  proud  in  their  unconquereJ  val- 
our, went  forth  to  battle,  and  here  were  they  as- 
sembled, years  afterwards  stripped  of  their  plu- 
mage, broken  and  conquered  by  the  despised 
troops  of  undisciplined  freemen.  Here  occurred 
ihat  inter^'iew  between  the  Engli:sh  General 
Howe  on  the  one  hand,  and  Frankhn,  Adams, 
and  Rutledge  on  the  other,  when  those  patriots 
rejected  with  contempt  all  offers  for  submission, 
and  refused  to  listen  to  a  single  proposition  that 
Jid  not  contemplate  the  independence  of  their 
•country.  (30)  Here  was  the  famous  Ethan  Al- 
ien exchanged  and  restored  to  liberty,  after  years 
of  suffering  in  an  Eiglish  prison,  where  he  re- 
■ceived  the  treatment  of  the  vilest  culprits.  (31) 
Here,  as  the  last  Hessian  left  our  shore,  was  a 
salutary  lesson  given  to  tyrants,  in  the  humilia- 
tion of  a  powerful  nation  before  an  exa?[)era- 
ted  colony.  Heaven  forbid  that  the  pride  and 
arrogance  ofthat  very  nation  should  again  cause 
these  hills  to  witness  the  marshalling  of  armies, 
and  the  assembling  of  navies,  to  assert  and  pro- 
tect our  national  rights,  the  freedom  of  the  seas, 
and,  in  the  language  of  Dallas,  "the  searchloss 
shelter  of  the  flag." 

It  is  useful,  at  the  close  of  the  war  of  our  in- 
dependence, to  pause  and  reflect  for  a  moment. 
Who,  ignorant  of  history,  and  observing  the 
termination  ofthat  mighty  struggle,  and  the  de- 
liberate institution  by  the  people  of  a  ne  w  form  of 
government,  could  believe  Uiat  two  centuries  be- 
fore, the  foot  of  civilization  had  never  touched 
this  soil ;  that  daring  that  time,  a  numerous  and 
ancient  people  had  melted  away  like  the  mist  of 
the  morning,  or  been  driven  into  remoter  wilds, 
as  westward  the  star  of  empire  took  its  way,  and 
a  few  puny  colonies  had  expanded  into  the  na- 
tion which  achieved  these  triumphs'?  Who, 
then,  looking  forward  to  the  present  lime,  would 
<lream  that  in  little  more  than  half  a  century,  so 
wonderful  should  bs  the  improvements  in  the  sci- 
ence of  government,  and  in  the  arts  of  life  ;  that 
the  benefits  of  steam  should  be  so  great,  inter- 
course so  easy,  commerce  so  extended  ;  that  such 
huge  engines  of  locomotion  should  thunder  along 
the  brow  of  the  precipice  and  with  the  rapidity 
of  the  wind,  fly  across  the  plain  ;  that  immense 
floating  batteries,  constructed  of  iron,  propelled 
swiftly  against  wind  and  tide  by  unseen  agents, 
bristling  with  new  and  tremendous  instruments 
of  destruction,  should  change  entirely  the  art  of 
warl  Who  could  imagine  that  upon  our  own 
Island,  within  so  short  a  time,  the  crest  of  every 
hill  should  be  a  palace,  every  slope  and  valley, 
a  garden,  and  a  population  of  twelve  thousand 


souls  should  be  found,  unsurpassed  for  industry, 

frugality  and  contentment. 

It  is  proper  to  relate  here  that  long  controversy 
between  the  states  of  New  York  and  New  Jer- 
sey, so  far  as  it  involved  the  question  to  which 
of  those  states  Staten  Island  should  belong.  In 
1661,  soon  after  the  Duke  of  York  had  obtained 
from  the  King,  a  grant  of  the  province  of  New- 
York,  he  granted  to  others  a  part  of  his  territory 
which  was  called  New  Jersey.  This  grant  was 
afterwards  repealed,  and  the  deed  conveyed  land 
"lying  to  the  westward  of  Long  Island,  bounded 
on  the  east,  part  by  the  main  ocean,  and  part  by 
Hudson's  river."  By  this  description  Staten 
Island  seems,  at  first  sight,  to  have  been  included 
within  the  boundary  of  New  Jersey  ;  and  claims 
to  that  effect  were  early  advanced  by  that  prov- 
ince. In  1GS4  GoverHor  Donga n  observes,  in 
reply  to  a  remonstrance  of  the  proprietors  of  East 
Jersey,  against  his  encroachur.cnts,  "Your  agents 
have  d  is  [Horsed  printed  papers,  to  the  disturbance 
of  the  inhabitants  of  Staten  Island,  which  hath 
l>een  in  the  possession  of  his  Royal  Highness 
aliove  twenty  years  (except  the  liitle  lime  the 
Dutch  had  it)  purchased  by  Governor  Lovelace 
of  the  Indians,  in  the  time  of  Sir  Georf^e  Carla- 
ret,  without  any  pretences,  till  youi  agents  made 
claim  of  it."  (3'2)  But  notwithstanding  this  the 
Governor  himself  was  not  satisfied  that  the  title 
of  New  York  was  good,  for  when  he  obtained 
from  the  Duke  a  patent  for  a  large  tract  of  land 
upon  the  Island,  being  uncertain  to  which  prov- 
ince it  of  right  belonged,  he  obtained  another  pa- 
tent for  the  same  land  from  the  proprietors  of 
East  Jersey.  (33.)  This  was  about  the  time 
when  New  York  was  first  divided  into  counties, 
of  which  this  Island  was  one;  and  possession  of 
it  was  afterwards  kept  by  that  province  (ill  the 
Revolution.  After  the  independence  of  our 
country  was  secured,  and  the  organization  of  the 
slate  governments  completed.  New  York,  per- 
ceiving that  the  Island  was  of  vital  imfjortance, 
as  it  was  necessary  for  the  defence  of  her  empo- 
rium, and  the  execution  of  her  health  laws,  de- 
termined to  keep  possession.  She  claimed  be- 
sides and  exercised  exclusive  jurisdiction  as  far 
as  low  water  mark  on  the  Jersey  shore.  This 
was  opposed  by  New  Jersey,  and  that  stale  in- 
sisted that,  by  the  terms  of  the  original  grant, 
she  had  jurisdiction  to  the  middle  of  the  nar- 
rows, and  consequently  owned  Staten  Island  ; 
and  when  New  York  urged  her  long  possession 
New  Jersey  denied  the  equity  of  the  argument, 
and  insisted  that  she  had  always  protested 
against  that  possession,  but  that  as  New- York 


12. 


was  tho  Btronycr  province,  she  had  never  been 
able  to  contend  with  her.*    This  condition  of 
tliin>»3  coiiiiriuod  till  the  excited  fcelin;;:!  cauacd 
by  the  controversy,  demanded  that  it  should  be 
Helllcd,  and  acconlin^ly  coinmitiriioncrb  were  ap- 
pointed in  1807  for  that  purpose,  by  both  states. 
A  Communication  passed  between  them  in  which 
U  was  alU-ged  on  the  part  of  New  Jersey  that 
that  state  "would  insist  tl)at  Staten  Island  was 
within   her  bounds,"  but  an  olfer  was  made  to 
relin<iuis!i  that  claim,  in  return  for  certain  con- 
cessions on  the  part  of  New  Yoik.    'I'his  prop- 
osition was  not  acceedi'd  lo,  and  the  commission 
terminated  in  angry  feelings.  (31)  Nothing 
further  was  done,  on  the  sul  jecl,  for  several, 
years,  whe.i  llic  excitement  along  the  border, 
among  the  itihabitants  of  both  states  had  rise^  lo 
a  high  pilch.    The  deputy  sherifl'of  this  county, 
who  had  served  process  on  board  a  vessel  an- 
cliorcd  near  the  sliore  oI  Noa'  Jersey,  was  arrest- 
cil  and  imprisoned  for  a  violation  of  her  territory; 
but  this  was  avowed,  by  llic  auiliorities  of  that 
state,  to  be  done  only  to  test  the  question  of  ju- 
risdiction. (35)    This  led  again  lo  the  appoint- 
ment of  Commissioners  on  both  sides  in  lb"i7. — 
Propositions  were  again  exchanged,  in  which 
a  claim  to  this  Island  was  again  urged  and  re- 
fused as  before;  and  the  commissioncra  again 
separated  without  having  in  any  manner  adjust- 
led  the  controversy.    Those  appointed  by  this 
state  attempted  in  their  report  to  sliow  her  right 
lo  the  Island  by  arguing  tliat  it  could  not  belong 
to  New  Jersey  by  the   terms  of  llie  original 
grant,  which  was  of  land  bounded  on  the  East 
part  by  the  main  ocean,  and  partly  Hudson's 
river,  for  they  assert  that  th_  Hudson  terminates 
at  its  junction  with  the  I£ast  river,  and  th.it  the 
water  surrounding  Slaten  Island  was  en  inlent 
of  the  sea.  (3G)    This  matter  was  at  length  set- 
tled in  1833  l>y  commissioners,  who,  "waiting  all 
discussion  of  the  strict  rights  of  either  party, 
made  such  concessions  as  they  supposed  to  be 
not  only  compatible  with  the  sp')staniial  interests 
ofeaehofthe  states,  but  conducive  to  the  har- 
mony and  welfare  of  both  :  (37)  New  York  ob- 
tained an  acknowledgement  of  her  right  (o  this 
Island,  and  to  exclusive  jurisdiction  over  a  por- 
tion of  the  adjact  nt  waters,  by  conceding  to 
New  Jersey  a  similar  jurisdiction  over  another 
portion;  and  thus  was  happily  settled  a  vexa- 
tious question,  which  at  one  time  threatened  to 

*This  tact  I  learned  from  the  Hon.  B.  F.  Butler 
who  was  one  of  the  commissioners  who  finally  set- 
tled the  ccitrovei  sy  in  a  manner  so  safisfactory,  that 
their  arrangements  were  adopted,  I  believe,  unan- 
imously, by  the  Lcgi.-latures  of  both  states. 


disturb  the  harmony  of  the  slales. 

Wo  have  now  traceil  down  the  course  of 
events  to  the  present  time,  but  I  should  do  scan- 
ty justice  to  my  subject,  and  you  would  feel  that 
tho  occasion  ^\crc  ill-i(r.j)roved,  did  we  fail  to  pay 
appropriate  homage  lo  the  memory  of  one,  inti- 
mately  connected  with  the  prosperity  of  our 
lolvMid  ;  one  who  ma  ie  it  his  home,  wjio,  after  a 
long  career  of  public  service,  brought  hither  with 
him  from  al!  good  men,  rei»peet  for  his  talents, 
and  love  for  his  virtues,  and  who  died  here,  ic- 
grcttcd  by  all  as  a  patriot,  a  statesman,  a  philan- 
thropist.   I  need  not  Irll  you,  al  Tompkinsville, 
that  I  allude  lo  Daniel  D.  Tompkins.*  The 
character  of  that  cninent  man  seems  lo  have  re- 
alized the  ancient  adage  concerning  the  seventh 
son.    His  father,  one  of  the  |)alriots  of  the  llev- 
olution,  his  ancestors,  the  Puritans-,  he  inherited, 
and  concentrated  in  himselfthe  illoslrious  quali- 
ties of  l  oth  those  classe  s.    Sustained  by  his  abil- 
ities alone,  he  rose  through  the  highest  stations 
in  our  state,  to  the  second  office  of  our  country, 
distingui-hed  alike  upon  the  judicial  bench,  and 
in  the  executive  chair.    But  it  was  while  Gov- 
ernor of  this  State,  that  his  greatness  was  most 
conspicuous.  FJected  lolhat  oITice  for  ten  succes- 
sive years,  a  period  which  embraced  the  war  with 
Great  Giilain,  he  administered  too  government 
with  the  greatest  success,  though  opposed  by  the 
bitter  hostility  of  a  violent  fjciion.    When  tho 
public  good  called  for  it,  he  did  not  hesitate  to 
adopt  the  boldest  measures,  and  in  no  instance 
did  the  people  fiil  to  support  him;  and  at  the 
darkest  period  of  the  war;  when  our  soil  was 
threatened    with  invasion,  when  the  treasury 
was  empty,  and  the  credit  of  the  government  ex- 
hausted, liy  pledging  his  personal  responsibility, 
for  above  a  million  of  dollars,  he  contributed 
more  than  any  other  lo  those  victoiies,  which 
pieserved  our  slate  from  devastation.  (38)  His 
care,  extended  over  all  the  interests  of  the  State, 
and  embraced  all  classes  of  persons;  and  no  man 
can  read  his  messages,  without  having  his  finer 
feelings  kindled  by  a  spark  of  his  benevolence, — 
Agriculture,  raanufactureSjand  educa  ion  receiv- 
ed his  support;  to  improve  the  condition  of  the 
degrailed  Indians,  was  an  object  of  his  exertionsj 
and  he  strongly  urged  upon  the  Legislature,  "the 
extinction  from  amongst  us  of  slavery,  that  re- 
proach of  a  free  people."    An  enemy  to  capital 
and  corporal  punishment?,  he  calls  tbe  former, 
"that  vestige  of  barbarism,"  and  of  the  latter  he 
says,  "no  reformation  can  be  wrought,  by  the 

*Born  21st  June,  1774,  in  Westchester  Co.  He 
was  the  seventh  son  of  Jonathan  G.  Tompkins. 


13. 


agonies  of  a  hccrated  body."  He  deprecated 
party  spirit,  and  exerted  himself  to  appease  its 
malignity;  he  was  anxious  to  place  the  poor  and 
the  rich  upon  a  perfect  political  equality  ;  and,  in 
his  last  message,  after  congratulating  the  Legis- 
lature upon  the  glorious  results  of  the  war,  he 
observes,  "amidst  these  considerations,  let  not 
those  who  have  achieved  those  great  oJjccts,  un- 
der the  most  adverse  fortune,  be  forgotten.  Let 
them  not  retire  at  once  the  objects  of  the  respect 
and  ingratitude  of  their  country."  But,  '  pity 
'tis  'tis  true,  '*  the  misfortunes  he  was  so  desirous 
to  avert  from  others,  were  reserved  for  himself; 
and  his  retirement  was  embittered  by  the  tardy 
justice  of  his  country,  in  remunerating  the  sacri- 
fices his  patriotism  ha<l  led  him  to  make.  But 
truth  at  length  prevailed,  and  he  returned,  un- 
sullied, from  a  contest,  in  which  his  services  and 
his  merits  triumphed  over  the  spirit  of  a  faction. 
He  will  be  regarded  by  posterity  as  one  of  the 
brightest  ornaments  of  his  country;  and  you 
who  knew  him  in  private,  will  bear  me  out  when 


I  say.  that  he  was  alike  fitted  to  manage  the  af- 
fairs of  state,  and  to  secure  from  those  about  him 
respect  and  affection. 

I  have  now  finished  the  sketch  I  promised.  It 
is  an  epilome  of  the  history  of  our  state,  from  the 
ti.Toe  when  the  red  man  ranged  the  forests, 
through  all  its  wars  and  changes.  We  may  al- 
so easily  imagine  that  a  glance  at  our  Island  af- 
fords us  a  picture  of  our  country.  Its  situation 
shows  how  she  is  fitted  to  command  an  extensive 
commerce  ;  our  mines  and  quarries,  show  how 
rich  she  is  in  the  hidden  treasures  of  the  earth ; 
the  rail  road?  which  convey  their  products  to  the 
shore,  represent  those  vast  works  of  internal  im- 
provement, which,  while  they  bind  her  firmly  to- 
gether, circulate  rapidly  her  products  through  ev- 
ery portion  of  her  territory  ;  our  prosperous  and 
happy  condition  shows  the  results  of  her  glorious 
institutions;  and  the  descendants  of  the  Flugo- 
nots,  at  every  step,  remind  us  that  she  is  the 
home  of  the  oppressed,  the  asylum  of  nations. 


NOTES. 


1 .  Jones'  no!rs  to  Clmton^a  discourse,  N.  Y. 
Historical  collection. 

2.  N.  Y.  His.  col.  vol.  3,  p.  41. 

Moiiltons'  Hist.  N.  Y.  p.  222,  refers  to  note  5, 
app.  to  Jefferson's  Virginia. 

3.  Smith's  His.  ofN.  Jersey,  p.  62. 

4.  There  are  two  accounts  of  this  tradition  among 
the  manusriipts  of  the  Rev.  D.  Miller,  in  the  library 
of  the  N.  Y.  Historical  Suciety  ;  one  contributed 
by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Heckwelder,  and  published  in 
their  collections,  and  the  other  an  extract  from  Dr. 
Bartons  journal. 

5.  Moulton  351  n.  from  vol.4  of  books  of  patents 
in  the  office  of  Secretary  of  State  ofN.  Y. 

Aquelinnqa  Manncknong.-  It  has  been  observed 
by  some  learned  gentlemen,  that  there  is  a  remark- 
able coincidence  m  this  name;  it  being  applied  to  a 
place  surrounded  with  water,  and  contains  the  Lat- 
in word  a'jua,  wiiich  means  water;  and  the  writer 
of  an  account  of  Staten  Island  published  some  years 
ago,  seems  to  have  had  the  same  idea,  when  he  says? 
'The  Indian  name  was  AquehongaManai-knong,  and 
as  early  as  the  year  1623  it  was  know  n  to  aboimd 
with  excellent  Springs  of  Water."  But  was  the 
discovererof  this  coincidence  aware  of  its  import;  nee, 
Does  it  not  solve  a  question  which  has  long  per|ikx- 
ed  the  learned  '!  If  this  is  a  Latin  word  so  appro- 
priately a()plied,  it  cou  d  have  been  don?  on'v  by 
the  Romans  themselves,  and  consequently  the  Ro- 
mans weie  the  ancestors  of  the  American  Indiaws  ; 
and  thus  are  at  once  destroyed  those  theories,  &'o 
ingloriojsly  formed  to  account  for  the  original  peo- 
pling of  this  continent. 

An  equally  [)robabIe  account  has  been  given  of 
the  origin  of  the  name  Stattn  Island.  The  English 
writers  to  justify  the  seizure  by  the  British  of  the 
province  of  New  Netherlands,  made  many  ridicu- 
lous attempts  to  sustain  the  claim  of  England  to  the 
right  of  discovery.  As  Henry  Hudson  was  an  En- 
glishman, (though  in  the  employment  of  tlie  Dutch 
East  India  Company.)  they  assert  that  he  sold  his 
discovery  to  the  Dutch,  without  the  permission  of 
his  King.  The  province,  they  say,  was  embraced 
within  the  boundaries  of  their  colonies  ;  and  its  pos- 
session by  the  Diitrh  is  thus  accounted  for — "by 
tlie  permission  of  Kins  James  they  had  granted 
from  him  to  their  slates  only  a  certain  Island,  called 
therefore  by  them  States  Island,  as  a  watering  place 
for  their  West  India  fleets,  although  as  they  havr 
encroached  upon,  so  they  have  given  it  a  new  Dutch 

name  wiping  out  the  old  English  names,  in 

those  parts  of  America,  in  those  old  sea  charts,  and 
have  new  Dutchified  them." 

Thurloes  State  papers  vol.  5,  p.  81. 


See  in  Hazard's  State  papers  vol.  I,  pp.  *'04,  605. 
6-  Smith's  history  of  New  York  vol.  i.  p. 

7.  Lambteethseirs  New  New  Netherlands. 

8.  Paper  by  Judge  Mersereau  of  Clieiiango.  Dr, 
Mdlcr's  notes. 

9.  Sarah  Rapeljc  born  7th  June  1625. 

Gov.  P.  D.  Vroom's  letter  to  E.  Benson,  J^sq"^ 
ftliHer's  notes. 

10.  lOrh  August,  1630,  conveyance  recorded  in 
Br.ok  A  p.  6.  of  Dtitch  Records,  according  to 
iones'  notes. 

Moulton  says  "deed  is  dated  July  I5tli  1631-" 
11-  Vries'  voyages  N.  Y.  His.  col.  new  ser, 
vo'.  1. 

12.  Ih. 

13.  Barber  and  Howe's  His.  col.  p.  474. 

11.  Duiilap's  Hist.  N.  Y.  app.  118. 

15.  Barber  and  Howe. 

16.  Dr.  Miller's  notes,  from  minutes  of  council. 

17.  Wood's  sketch  of  Long  Island  p.  74.  n.  frow 
the  Dutch  Records. 

]S.  W()0(Ps  sketch  p.  87. 

19.  Miller's  uoles. 

20.  JVIiuutes  of  council — ib. 

21 .  AVood's  sketch. 

22.  Rev.  John  Etheveins  letter  to  Dr.  S.  Miller. 
Miller  s  notes- 

23.  The  first  ferrv  was  across  the  Kill  Van  Kull 
Irom  S.  I.  to  Bergen,  in  June  ,1764— Dunlap, 
app.  135. 

24.  The  troops,  under  Monckton,  which  were  des- 
tined to  attack  Martinique  were  encamped  irp- 
on  Staten  Island  in  1768 ;  and  Gen.  Amherst 
was  Knighted  here  by  Monckton. — Dunlup, 
1—406.  2.  40. 

25  History  of  the  civil  War  in  America  till  1799 
—London,  1780. 

26.  Dunlap,  app.  228.  229. 

27.  Marshall's  Washington  .vol.  1.  p.  153. 

28.  Ib.  p.  180. 

29.  Ib.,  and  see  Sterling's  official  letter,  in  Riv- 
ingston's  Royal  Gazette,  published,  at  that  time^ 
at  New-York. 

SO.  Dunlap— vol  2.  p.  73. 

31.  Sparks  life  of  Ethan  Allen,  Am.  Biog. 

32.  Chambers  political  annals  vol.  1.  p.  628. 

33.  Dunlap— app.  135. 

34.  Report  of  committee  of  N.  Y.  Senate'.— Sen- 
ate journal  1827. 

35.  Sen.  jour.  1827,  pp.  18.  19. 

36.  Sen.  jour.  1828,  app.  A. 

37.  Sen.  jour.  1824. 

38.  M.  Van  Buren's  report  Sen.  jour.  18  p.  20 
207. 


